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Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival is turning Japanese

Japanese whisky will be part of the festival for the first time.
Japanese whisky will be part of the festival for the first time.

A whisky extravaganza in Moray will be turning Japanese for the first time with the introduction of a range of international flavours.

For a decade, the Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival has championed the best of Scottish drams to overseas visitors.

But this year, organisers are including flavours from the Far East to broaden the horizons of tourists.

The Highlander Inn in Craigellachie is owned by Tatsuya Minagawa from Japan and is home to the world’s largest collection of whiskies from the country outwith South East Asia.

A rare chance to sample new bottlings and cask samples from the Japanese Chichibu Distillery, which are not yet available in the UK, will be hosted at the Speyside hotel as part of this year’s packed programme.

Festival manager Pery Zakeri said: “Events like our exclusive behind-the-scenes tours – and events where people get to meet the keep players in the Speyside whisky industry such as master distillers and expert blenders – are always the most popular.

“But every year, we look to add interesting and unusual choices to the listings, so there is an incredibly varied programme to choose from.”

Scotland’s growing reputation for gin will also be explored when the Balmenach Distillery lifts the lid on how its Caorunn gin is produced.

Demonstrations of craft and textile techniques from Speyside producers are also being staged at the eclectic spring festival.

It comprises almost 500 events and runs from April 27 to May 1. Tickets can be bought online at www.spiritofspeyside.com.